Cotabato City, Philippines - At least nine Muslim rebels were killed in two days of fighting in the southern Philippines, a regional army operations officer said Monday.

Captain Louie Aguinaldo said the fighting erupted Sunday afternoon and lasted until Monday morning in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila.

Aguinaldo said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attempted to return to their camp that was occupied by soldiers, triggering an intense firefight.

"There were many bloodstains in the MILF position, which was hit by our cannons," he said. "We got reports that at least nine MILF rebels were killed in the fighting."

Cotabato City, Philippines - One Muslim rebel was killed and three government soldiers were wounded in clashes in the southern Philippines during a military offensive against guerrillas who launched deadly attacks last month, officials said Saturday.

Fighting erupted between troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels near a mosque in Maasim town in Sarangani province, 1,125 kilometres south of Manila, on Friday, said police Senior Superintendent Danilo Peralta.

Peralta said sporadic firefights were still ongoing on Saturday.

Cotabato City, Philippines - A Philippine Army officer was wounded Wednesday in fresh clashes with Muslim secessionist rebels in the country's south, where 102 people have been killed and nearly 150,000 displaced since last week, a military report said.

The fighting erupted when patrolling soldiers encountered about 30 heavily armed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila.

Fighting was ongoing and soldiers were using mortars and howitzers to flush out the rebels, the military report said.

Cotabato City, Philippines - One soldier was killed in a clash with Muslim separatist rebels in the southern Philippines, where the guerrillas are reportedly gathering following a setback in peace talks with the government, officials said Tuesday.

The firefight erupted Tuesday when about 50 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels stormed a sugarcane plantation in Aleosan town, North Cotabato province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, said army Major Randolph Cabangbang, a regional military spokesman.

Cabangbang said government troops responded to the attack, triggering a firefight that killed one soldier.

He said the rebels raided and burned the 10-hectare plantation.